Human rights and extreme poverty

1989/10. Human rights and extreme poverty

The Commission on Human Rights, Recalling that the peoples of the United Nations have reaffirmed in the Charter their faith in fundamental human rights and in the dignity and worth of the human person, Mindful that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights provides that everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and his family, Recalling that, in accordance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenants on Human Rights recognize that the ideal of free human beings, enjoying freedom from fear and want can only be achieved if conditions are created whereby everyone may enjoy his economic, social and cultural rights, as well as his civil and political rights, Reaffirming that all human rights and fundamental freedoms are indivisible and interrelated and that the promotion and protection of one category of rights should never exempt or excuse States from the promotion and protection of the other rights, Recalling that the elimination of widespread poverty and the full enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights remain interrelated goals, Deeply concerned by the fact that, despite the progress achieved by the international community in ensuring the effective enjoyment of human rights, extreme poverty continues to spread throughout the world, seriously affecting the most vulnerable and disadvantaged individuals, families and groups in all countries, Recognizing moreover that respect for and promotion of human rights are essential if individuals are to participate freely and responsibly in the development of the society in which they live, Recalling its resolution 1988/23 of 7 March 1988, concerning the effective enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights in all countries, which recognizes that Member States, individually and through international co-operation, should intensify their efforts to secure an adequate standard of living for all people, giving priority to those living in extreme poverty, Recalling also Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities resolution 1988/33 of 1 September 1988, concerning the realization of economic, social and cultural rights, Bearing in mind the action already taken in the relevant forums to ensure the realization of economic, social and cultural rights, Aware that the adoption of effective measures to promote the enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms requires a better understanding of the causes of extreme poverty, including the causes connected with the problems of development, and its interaction with the enjoyment of human rights,

1. Affirms that extreme poverty and exclusion from society constitute a violation of human dignity and that urgent national and international action is therefore required to eliminate them;

2. Draws the attention of the General Assembly and all United Nations bodies to the contradiction between the existence of situations of extreme poverty and exclusion from society, which must be overcome, and the duty to guarantee full enjoyment of human rights;

3. Urges the Committee on Social and Cultural Rights to give the necessary attention, in its work, to the question of extreme poverty and exclusion from society;

4. Requests the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities, when studying, in accordance with its resolution 1988/33, problems, policies and progressive measures relating to a more effective realization of economic, social and cultural rights, to give particular attention to the question of extreme poverty and exclusion from society and to examine the feasibility of a study of this question.

46th meeting
2 March 1989
[Adopted without a vote. See chap. VIII.]